It was the month of September 2020 when ZTE launched Axon 20 5G, the first smartphone ever with a front camera under the display ( UDC, Under Display Camera ) to arrive on the market after some concepts made by other manufacturers. That project was the result of a long development path and had the task of sanctioning the definitive abandonment of frames, notches or more or less conspicuous holes to house the front camera.
Despite this pioneering launch, however, there were still limits to overcome: the quality of the photos was not the best and a difference in brightness was always perceptible on the camera area as well as a sort of pixel grid.
However, ZTE continued to develop this technology, managing to improve it with Axon 30 5G, which arrived on the market in July last year, working on the pixel density at the portion of the screen where the front camera was located and using much more transparent materials. to facilitate the passage of light. As in all technologies, even in this case there was still room for improvement .
With the new Axon 40 Ultra, announced last May in China, UDC reaches its third generation and can now be considered “mature”. But Axon 40 Ultra is much more, it is a real top of the range complete with all the best you could want in a smartphone today and has pleasantly accompanied me over the last few weeks.
- DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING QUALITY
- DISPLAY
- UDC ROOM
- SOFTWARE
- EXPERIENCE OF USE
- DATA SHEET
- PHOTO AND VIDEO
- IN CONCLUSION
- PROS AND CONS
DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING QUALITY
Before going into the analysis of what can certainly be considered its main feature, I can only start from the design of this Axon 40 Ultra and its construction quality, which is decidedly excellent. The lines are very clean and elegant , they certainly know they are “already seen” but still leave a pleasant sensation not only to the eye but also to the touch thanks to the edges of the display which, curving by 3.9 mm, embrace the metal profile allowing to improve the ergonomics and, at the same time, offering the sensation of holding a thinner device than its 8.4mm. The weight is approximately 207 grams .
Both the top and the bottom are flat, which also allows you to keep the smartphone standing on a flat surface. The rear part is also very elegant , which usually remains the only aspect that can be most personalized by the manufacturers. In this case, ZTE has used an opaque glass on which a satin finish has been carried out which on the one hand gives it a brilliant appearance in the light, on the other it makes it a little more slippery. Generally, to get a much firmer grip, I recommend using the transparent cover found in the package.
The rear is dominated by an important photographic module in which there are three large (very large) 64 megapixel sensors, defined as “Trinity” by ZTE, a ToF sensor and an LED flash. The island is made of metal, has very pronounced edges and protrudes a few millimeters from the body. On the top there are an infrared sensor and a grid for the speaker that we also find on the bottom, next to the USB Type-C port and the drawer that can accommodate two SIM cards in nano format. Even though the drawer has a protective seal, the smartphone has no IP certification .
DISPLAY
The display is a 6.8-inch AMOLED (non-LTPO) with a maximum FHD + resolution of 1116×2480 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate . The maximum brightness of 1,500 nit allows it to always be perfectly visible even in direct sunlight, and the 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut, with 10bit color depth, guarantees the display of images that are always very vivid and defined. .
The panel also offers a 360Hz touch sampling rate , which is particularly appreciable when using the smartphone to play, with always precise touches and immediate response. In addition, the 1440Hz PWM (Pulse-width modulation) helps reduce flicker when we keep the brightness at minimum, while the TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe certification, for blue light, guarantees high eye protection.
To improve everything we also find an excellent oleophobic treatment on the glass that avoids the excessive accumulation of fingerprints as well as rapid cleaning. The brightness sensor works well, always managing to quickly adjust the panel lighting according to the ambient light conditions. No problem also with regard to the proximity sensor.
Through the system settings we can set a dark mode, a reading mode (even only for some apps), night brightness and we can adjust colors and temperature.
UDC ROOM
Speaking of the display, of course, we must also talk about the UDC and how ZTE has further improved this technology . For Axon 40 Ultra a pixel density of 400PPI has been applied in the display area where the camera is located while the rest of the screen is equipped with a blue diamond matrix. I remember that a sensor for the recognition of fingerprints is also integrated in the display , not very fast but very precise.
ZTE claims that the “independent pixel” technology has been adopted to ensure that every single pixel is driven by a “dedicated” circuit, allowing for a more defined display. Compared to previous generations, the presence of the circuits on the screen has been eliminated thanks to a transparent wiring.
Ultimately, the work done was excellent . The area that houses the camera has become virtually unnoticeable even when very white and bright images are shown. When the camera is activated, the area darkens and is quickly identified by a bright circle. I talk about photographic quality further down, in the appropriate section, but I anticipate that there has been a marked improvement compared to the past but there are still margins.
SOFTWARE
ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is based on Android version 12 with all its services and with MyOS 12, a customized user interface that allows you to keep the classic user experience of the Google platform almost unchanged, enriching it with additional features and many possibilities of customization with themes, wallpapers, icons and system fonts. At the time of writing, the patches are up to date in May 2022.
In the appropriate section of the menu called “Functionality” we find the possibility to choose whether to use keys or gestures to navigate the system, the mode to facilitate use with one hand (reducing the interface or lowering it), the Z key -Customizable POP that we can freely position on the screen and further gestures to perform different operations. In my opinion, the organization of the notification curtain can be improved, a bit confusing.
No problem for viewing streaming content in high quality. ZTE Axon 40 Ultra has in fact the Widevine L1 type certification which ensures the highest level of protection. In general, I have not encountered any problems when using this ZTE Axon 40 Ultra which has always proved to be very quick and pleasant to use.
EXPERIENCE OF USE
ZTE Axon 40 Ultra integrates a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor supported, in our case, by 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage . The RAM can be virtually extended with up to an additional 6GB.
Operating temperatures are kept under control by a VC liquid cooling system with a heat dissipation area that has a 9-layer structure. ZTE also claims to have improved heat absorption capacity by 140% and thermal conductivity by 300% thanks to aerospace-derived graphene nano cavities.
In practice, I can say that this smartphone never gets too hot, even during particularly intense use. Axon 40 Ultra managed to handle even particularly demanding games such as Call of Duty Mobile and Genshin Impact without problems.
DATA SHEET
- display : 6.8-inch AMOLED Full HD + (2,480 x 1,116 pixels, 400 ppi density) and 120 Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color space coverage, 1,500 nits maximum brightness, integrated fingerprint reader and selfie camera
- chip : Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen1, 3 GHz maximum frequency and 4 nanometer manufacturing process, vapor chamber cooling
- memories : 8, 12 or 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 256, 512 GB or 1 TB of UFS 3.1 storage space (no microSD)
- cameras :
- Rear main: Sony IMX787 64MP f / 1.6, 35mm equivalent focal length, OIS and laser autofocus
- ultra wide rear: Sony IMX787 from 64 MP f / 2.35, 16 mm equivalent focal length, macro up to 4 cm
- rear tele: 64 MP f / 3.5, 91 mm equivalent focal length, 2.6x zoom, OIS
- ToF sensor
- front: 16 MP f / 2.0 26mm (in display)
- video in 8K a 30 fps
- connectivity : 5G SA/NSA, Wi-Fi 6Ex, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB-C 3.1, GPS, Galileo, Beidou
- audio: stereo con DTS:X Ultra
- fingerprint reader: in display
- user interface : MyOS 12 based on Android 12
- battery : 5,000 mAh
- fast charging: 80 watts
- dimensioni: 163,3 x 73,6 x 8,4 mm
- weight: 207 grams
AUDIO AND MULTIMEDIA
ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is equipped with Snapdragon Sound and a double speaker with DTS able to offer an overall good audio quality, with a decent perception of low tones but with a greater predominance of the speaker placed on the lower part. The audio via the ear capsule is also clean and has a fairly high volume. No problems encountered when recording voice messages on the most popular messaging platforms.
AUTONOMY AND RECHARGE
The built-in battery is 5,000mAh with 65W ultra-fast charging via the supplied charger. In just about 40 minutes it is possible to go from zero to 100% charge and just over 60% after twenty minutes. The smartphone is compatible with the QC4 and PD fast charging protocols but unfortunately there is no wireless charging . In these days of testing I managed to reach an average of 6/7 hours of active display with GPS navigation, streaming and gaming. A certainly satisfactory result.
TELEPHONE PART AND CONNECTIVITY
ZTE Axon 40 Ultra has a slot that can accommodate two nano SIMs with intelligent switching based on the state of the network. Through settings we can choose the default SIM for calls and data connectivity. 5G SA / NSA networks (selectable) are supported with adaptive power saving that allows you to choose apps for which we want the 5G network to always be used unlike others that will go to 4G when data services are not needed.
In general, the signal reception is always excellent as well as Bluetooth and WiFi. Do not miss the NFC support that allows the use of the smartphone for contactless payments. The operation of GPS, accelerometer and gyroscope is also excellent.
PHOTO AND VIDEO
ZTE Axon 40 Ultra has a rear photographic compartment with three 64 megapixel sensors : a Sony IMX787 with aperture f / 1.6, 35 mm equivalent focal length, OIS and laser autofocus, an additional Sony IMX787 with aperture f / 2.35, 16 mm equivalent focal and macro up to 4 cm and a third, always from 64 MP and of which the manufacturer is not mentioned, with aperture f / 3.5, 91 mm equivalent focal length, 2.6x zoom and OIS. The two main sensors, being practically the same, should offer the advantage of having a qualitative consistency in terms of colors and dynamic range, which however does not always happen.
ZTE Axon 40 Ultra supports 8K recording on all three sensors which also support the snapshot function which allows you to photograph moving objects thanks to the Adaptive Shutter algorithm. Axon 40 Ultra is also the only smartphone that supports user pre-set focus before shooting. To improve the quality of videos in low light conditions, however, there is a “super night” function which, thanks to an algorithm, improves the brightness of the image and increases the resolution in the darkest areas, reducing noise and providing real color references. .
On the photo side, however, the night sky photography modes – Smart Moon, Star Photography Algorithm and AI constellation – allow you to obtain quality and noise-free shots. There is also a series of filters including Bresson black and white or the film filter and the multi-camera option that allows you to take pictures from all three rear cameras at the same time.
Photos taken with Axon 40 Ultra are of excellent quality . With the main sensors the dynamic range is very wide and there is really a lot of detail. The automatic focus also on the ultra wide-angle sensor allows you to take close-up photos that are always very detailed. Through the simple and intuitive user interface we can quickly switch from one shooting mode to another and choose from the many functions available to us.
The speech changes with the 16 megapixel front camera . In this case, the 16 megapixel sensor with f / 2.0 aperture manages to capture photos of only sufficient quality, still very far from what can be obtained on competing products that offer a traditional camera. This is the price to pay for UDC technology which, although much improved compared to the first generation, still offers limits in terms of photographic quality.
The shots obtained with this sensor are much better than the preview that is shown in the acquisition phase. This is thanks to the “Selfie 3.0” algorithm that uses AI in-depth learning technology to reduce noise, focus in real time images with different illuminations and correct clarity and transparency. The Smart Makeup function allows you to further enhance close-ups.
Videos can be recorded with all three sensors in 8K resolution at 30fps or in 4K even at 60 and 120fps. Also in this case the detail is high and the stabilization is also good. Definitely low quality using the front camera.
ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is certainly a smartphone of excellent quality , complete, decidedly innovative and its technical characteristics can allow it to be able to compete with other top of the range on the market. The UDC camera is certainly revolutionary but still penalizes the photographic quality which I found very good through the main compartment. The software can certainly be improved as there are still some bugs (the camera crashes when trying to make videos with the periscope) and translation errors.
The list price is 829 euros which can be discounted by 50 euros by making the pre-order on the ZTE website , the only place where it will be possible to buy it. To get the discount, you will need to buy a € 1.99 coupon to be used until June 21, 2022. The coupon can only be used to purchase the Axon 40 Ultra.
Photo and video quality via rear cameras Good quality display Autonomy and build quality UDC practically invisible camera Complete equipment
Poor photo and video quality with front camera No wireless charging Beautiful but slippery surface No IP certification Software to improve
